Abstract

In 2000, the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) launched the Leadership Energy and Environmental Design system, known as LEED. The LEED classification consists of a certification rating system that examines facility design, construction, and operation by which a facility could qualify for one of four certification levels: Certified, Silver, Gold, or Platinum (see usgbc.org/leed). The rating system was designed with the five credit categories of sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, and indoor environmental quality, with bonus points offered for innovation and design. Since its inception, LEED has become an internationally recognized green building certification system providing third-party verification that a building integrates environmentally friendly strategies (Mallen, Adam, Stevens, & Thompson, 2010; see Chapter 16 for more details on environmental building certification).